“The Lord said, ‘What are you doing here, Elijah?Go out and stand on the mountain before the Lord,for the Lord is about to pass by.’”– 1 Kings 19: 9,11 The […]
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The Difference Between Quietism & Centering Prayer
Q: How is Centering Prayer distinct from Quietism which was declared a heresy in the 18th Century? A: Webster defines quietism this way: “a system of religious mysticism teaching that […]
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Perspective
I sit on my porch,glimpse through the open doora painting, ‚ÄúMorning for Writing Letters‚Äù,a flask of coffee, the back of a chair,a blue and rust-colored afghanon the back of the […]
Contemplative Collaboration
At the initiative of Thomas Keating, the founder of Contemplative Outreach, the founders of three other major Christian contemplative organizations were invited to meet with him in early October at […]
Monkey Mind on Extended Retreat
Q: I have been on many extended 8 – 10 retreats. On them I always have trouble going to sleep. The monkey mind is relentless! On my recent 10 day […]
The Power of Silent Prayer
“I became aware of how powerful Centering Prayer was because it was a container for my consenting to not only God’s presence in my life, but also God’s action in […]
Shutters
Through the shutters of my soulsunlight rarely shines.Her voice demanded obedience,blocked out the light of childhood.As I grew older I replaced it with worries. On this rainy dayin a retreat […]
An Inward Gesture Instead of Sacred Word
Q: In Centering Prayer, when you have noticed that you are engaged in a thought, rather than return gently to a sacred word, is it okay to instead, just simply […]
Dogs and Self-Reflective Consciousness
Q: In Gail Fitzpatrick-Hoper’s delightful essay “Contemplative Lessons from My Dog” (Contemplative Outreach News, Dec. 2015), she describes how her dog exemplifies the surrendered life. As a life-long pet-owner, I […]
Discerning Decisions in Retirement
Q: I am 79 years old widow and am still working part time ‚Ķ I enjoy my work. However, I know that sometime soon (?) I need to plan my […]
